Steam-turbine.



Y rotation, double-shell bearings for the wheel` ivo. marc.

UNITED STATES* atented October 6, 19031y PATENT OFFICE.

sTEAM-TufRBmi-z.

srncrrIcArIoN' forming part of Leners recent No. 740,780, ated octobere, reos.

Application mea Beamter 9,1902.

To cas/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteam-Turbines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. v Thisinvention relates to motive engines operated by steam or any expansivefluid and to certain improvements therein, as hereinafter described, andillustrated in the drawings that form a part of this specification.

The improvement consists in a main casing or containing-chamber'in whichthe motive wheel revolves and asecond chamber in which reducing-gearingis placed integrally formed and with removablecovers at vthe sides,devices to avoid heat convection from conducting passages and lpipes andto maintain a low temperature in the main casing, a series of vanes toreceive the impinging fluid made integral with radial stems of smallsection that occupy the principal plane of the Wheels spindle, the innershells being pivoted and flooded with oil, and in other featureshereinafter more fully described, and pointed out. in claims appendedhereto.

The object of the invention is to provide in a simple and inexpensiveform a fluid-impulse engine adapted for general purposes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal section of anengine constructed according to my invention. Fig. II is an end view ofthe same engine, partially in' section and with one of thecovering-plates removed. Fig. III is an enlarged front view of one ofthe impelling buckets or vanes with its supporting-stem. Fig. IV is aside view of Fig. III. Fig. V is atransverse section through one of themain-spindle bearings.

The hase-frame 1 is made hollow and adapted to support the main casing 2and the bearings 3 and 4 for the second or transmitting shaft 5.

The main casing l is formed with a circular chamber 7, in which themotive wheel revolves, and a chamber 9, in which is placed saai No.134,578. :No man I reducing-gearing consisting of atooth-pinion 10 and acorresponding gear-wheel12, mounted on the shaft 5. Around this shaft 5is a packing-gland 13, that forms in part a bearing, and a secondinternal bearingl is placed vin the division-wall 15 of the main casing1.

Removable plates 17 and 18 cover the chama 'bers 7 and 9.

The main spindle 19, on whichl the motive wheel 8 is mounted, is held atthe ends in the supports 21, consisting of outer and inner shells 22 and23, the latter being made in two parts, as shown in Fig. V, and held bythe pointed pivoting-screws 24, that permit oscillatory movement of the`inner bearings in a vertical plane. These shells 23 are also practicallypivoted in a horizontal plane by the two halves sliding one upon theother, so the bearings are free to adjust themselves in all the wall ofthe main casing assists in maintaining the spindle 19 against lateralthrust caused by the pinion 10.

The chambers 7 and` 9 communicate by a drain-passage 27, also throughthe running bearings 14 and 25. The chamber 7 is con- ;nected to acondenser or is open to the at- `ings that communicate with the interiorof the chambers 7 and 9, and the bearings 3 and t have lubricating-wicks32, that are suspended in the oil-chambers 33 in the usual manner. Poweris transmitted froma pulley 34 or directly from the shaft 5, asrequired.

Steam is admitted through oneL or more nozzles 35 from a pipe 37 andbranches 3S and impinges tangentially on the vanes 89 of the motivewheel 8 and are adj usted by the handwheels 40 in the usual manner. Thenozzles can be of any form in respect to their bore, which terminates atsome distance from the planes to a true aliuement. A bearing 25 in IOCvaues 39 to permit a proper degree of expansion, such as occurs by thefree efiux of steam j The nozzles 35 have no direct connectionl with themain casing 2,except by the screwed nipples 42, heat-insulating collars43 being applied between the main body of the nozzles and the maincasing 2, as shown in Fig. II. This construction prevents a hightemperature in the main casing and its connected parts, also permitseasy maintenance of bearings and gearing therein, and promotescondensation of steam after its impingement on the vanos 39.

The motive wheel 8 is made with as few vanes 39 as possible, thirty-sixbeing shown in the drawings. These are formed integrally with stems 44,preferably of cylindrical and an approximately uniform section,and fitinto spaced holes in a solid nave 45, thus reducing the weightand massof the stems to a minimum throughout the plane of the wheel between thebuckets and nave, asis set forth in my cepending application, Serial No.120,378, for improvement in steam-turbine wheels.

The vanes or buckets 39 are of a concave form, divided into two parts bya central ridge 47, which latter may be either transverse to or in theplane of rotation, owing to the length and form of the vanes or buckets39. The lips or discharge-angles of the latter are arrangedapproximately, as shown in Figs. III, IV, and V.

The main spindle 19 being wholly inclosed in the chambers 7 and 9 doesnot have to pass through packing-glands, consequently does not causeair-leaks into these chambers.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaimv as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a steam-turbine, a casing forming a circular main chamber, asecond chamber parallel thereto, separated therefrom by a dividing-wall,bearings for a main motorshaft secured to the walls of said main chamberand in the dividing-wall, bearings for a gear-shaft in the walls of thesecond chamber, one of which is the dividing-wall, shafts in saidbearings respectively, and reducinggears in the second chamber inconnection with the main motor-shaft.

2. A casing forming a main chamber, a motor-wheel therein, a secondchamber parallel to said main chamber, separated therefrom byadividing-wall, a main shaft in said chambers sustaining saidmotor-wheel, bearings for said main shaft outside of said chambers,anintermediate bearinginsaiddividing-wall, reducing-gears in said secondchamber, one of which is a pinion on said main shaft, and means forsupplying motive power to said motor-wheel.

3. A casing forming a main chamber, a motor-wheel therein, a secondchamber parallel to said main chamber, separated therefrom by adividing-wa1l,rem ovable covering-plates to said chambers respectively,closed bearings on said covering-plates, regulable means for oil-supplysecured on said bearings, a main shaft held in said bearings, passingthrough said dividing-wall, supporting said motor-wheel,a gear-pinion onsaid main shaft, in said second chamber, shaft-bearings in the walls ofsaid second chamber, a second shaft in said bearings, and a reducinggear-wheel on said shaft, within said second chamber, in mesh with saidpinion on the main shaft.

4. A casing forming a closed main chamber, a motor-wheel therein, asecond closed chamber adjacent and parallel to the main chamber,with adividing-wallbetween, closed shaft-bearings in the main-chamber wallsamain shaft supporting said motor-wheel borne in said bearings,reducing-gears in said second chamber, connected with said main shaft,means for supplying motive power to said motor-wheel in said mainchamber, and a pressure-equalizing passage between the two closedchambers.

5. A casing forming a main chamber, a motor-wheel therein, anexhaust-passage from said chamber, a second chamber adjacent andparallel to said main chamber, separated therefrom by a dividing-wall, amain shaft, supporting the motor-Wheel in the main chamber andcarrying apinion in the second chamber, removable cover-plates on the outside ofsaid chambers respectively, closed oil-holding bearings for the mainshaft borne on said cover-plates respectively, a packed bearing on thecover-plate of the second chamber, a second shaft bearing on thedivision-plate between the two chambers, a rotatory shaft held in saidbearings, and a reducing gearwheel on said rotatory shaft, in mesh withthe pinion on the main shaft.

6. A casing forming amain chamber, a m0- tor-wheel therein, a secondchamber adjacent and parallel to said main chamber, removablecover-plates on the outside of said chambers respectively, closedoil-containingshaft-bearings on said cover-plates respectively, movablehorizontally-pivoted and vertically-divided shell-bearings Within saidclosed oilcontaining bearings, and a main shaft for said motor-wheel,held and automatically centered in said shell-bearings.

7. A casing forming a main chamber, a second chamber adjacent andparallel to said main chamber, closed shaft-bearings on the outer wallsof said chambers respectively, a middle bearing between the chambers, inalinement with said outer bearings, a main shaft held in said bearings,reducing-gear in said second chamber, in connection with the main shaft,a motor-wheel in the main chamber, on the main shaft, means forsupplying motive power to said motor-wheel, and a passage between thechambers for equaliziug the temperature and pressure therein.

8. A casing forming a main chamber, a second chamber adjacent andparallel to said main chamber, a main shaft held in said IOO IIO

Wheel chamber, one or more langentially-disposed nozzles attached tothis easing by 15 screwed nipples, and insulated from the main easing,except as to these nipples, to prevent heat transmission, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of zo two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

P. W. J. LANDER, HENRY C. DROGER.

